


Smackdown

by Windfighter



Series: Tony-centric whumptobers [4]
Category: Marvel, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Gen, Hurt Tony, Hurt/Comfort, sorry Bruce, sorry Tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 20:56:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18351563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windfighter/pseuds/Windfighter
Summary: It was just a simple mission. Tony and Steve should have been able to handle it on their own. But then Hulk got mindcontrolled and it all got harder.





	1. The Smackdown

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "No, stop!"
> 
> I'm not good at author's notes. Enjoy Tony getting another beating!

Bruce was sitting in the jet. Pick-up duty and backup. Tony and Steve had both agreed that they wouldn't need Hulk for this mission. They had taken Bruce with them because it's always good to have a doctor on the team (”I'm not that kind of doctor, Tony”) and now he was fiddling with the control panel, keeping an eye and ear out for if they needed his help. He didn't hear the almost inaudible sound of steps sneaking up towards him. He closed his eyes to lower his heart rate when he thought he heard a shuddering breath, thinking Tony was in trouble again.

He screamed in pain as the poison was delivered into his systems.

”Tony, help”, he whimpered before his eyes glazed over.

 

”Take out the last ones!” Tony yelled before he started sprinting towards the jet. Someone was coming out of it, Bruce stumbling next to them. The person leaned towards Bruce, whispered something in his ear. Bruce's eyes flashed green and the person gestured towards Tony, let Bruce go.

”Bruce?” Tony asked and took a couple steps in his direction. Bruce looked at him, his eyes still green, but dull, and started walking towards him. His skin turned greener for every step, his muscles and bones grew. Tony took a step back, was just about to lift from the ground as Hulk smashed into him. He went through five trees before coming to a stop, but Hulk was already running towards him.

”Shit!”

He activated his thrusters, lifted from the ground, but Hulk jumped, grabbed his leg and slammed him into the ground. He cried out as his body rattled around in the armor.

”Jarvis, remind me to make the inside softer.”

”I believe you have more pressing issues for the moment, sir.”

Hulk leaned over him, opened his mouth and let out a deafening roar. Tony's ears were ringing.

”Tony, what's going on?” Steve asked over the com.

Tony groaned, rolled over to his stomach. Hulk's hand wrapped around him, threw him into the air. 10 meters, 20, 40. Hulk jumped after him, smashed him like a volleyball and he went down again. His nose crunched as he faceplanted into the dirt, his ribs cracked as Hulk's foot landed on his back and pressed him further down. The suit was breaking around him, sparks flying as the electronics went haywire.

”Bruce is under mindcontrol”, Tony gasped.

Hulk lifted his foot, looked at the tin man. Tony activated the thrusters again, slid over the ground away from Hulk. His escape came to a stop as he slammed himself into a tree. He couldn't see the outside any longer, the electronics in the faceplate that transferred images and information to him had been smashed. He was lifted from the ground again, Hulk's hand squeezing around his leg, he could feel the metal breaking, cutting into his flesh and the bones breaking under the pressure. He screamed.

”Hulk smash!”

Hulk smashed him into the ground 3, 5, 6 times before letting go. Tony's tried catching his breath, regaining control over himself, tried to not faint.

”I'm holding him at bay, get back to safety!”

”Cap, mindcontrol, he can't help it.”

”I'm not letting him smash you.”

He heard the sound of battle echoing through the com. They moved away, Tony tried activating the emergency ejection system but it had broken during the smackdown.

”Cap”, talking was painful and he had to breath in short gasps, ”I'm stuck.”

”You need to make an armor you can get out of.”

”I didn't count on having to survive battling Hulk today.”

”All right, I'm coming back to help you.”

The ground shook as Hulk started running as well. Steve grabbed Tony's shoulder, turned him around and Tony screamed as his broken leg got disturbed. The faceplate disappeared, thrown to the side by Steve, but then Hulk's hand bashed into Steve and threw him off Tony. Tony could hear Steve's body landing against a tree and sliding to the ground.

”Cap, you awake?!”

Cap groaned in answer. Tony wanted to say something more, but Hulk grabbed him, lifted him from the ground. They stared at each other, Tony tried not to let fear show on his face.

”I know this isn't you Bruce. It's okay. I'm not angry.”

Hulk huffed, grabbed his arm. Squeezed it just like he had done with the leg earlier. Tony screamed in pain and when Hulk started pulling at his arm the pain increased.

”No, stop!” Tony cried out.

The armor snapped at the shoulder, his shoulder snapped, dislodged itself. Steve's shield hit Hulk in the head and Tony was dropped, fell to the ground. Tony gasped in pain, the armor crumbled off him apart from the parts that were lodged into him. He couldn't let himself faint, he needed to help Bruce, to help Steve. He pushed himself into a sitting position, pain shooting through his body with every tiny movement. Steve was keeping Hulk busy, keeping him away by using his shield for ranged attacks. Tony looked at them for a while, stared at Hulk, his sight disappearing every other second. There was a huge bruise on Hulk's neck and Steve's punches wasn't enough to explain it.

Tony shook his head, clenched his eyes shut as dizzyness threatened to overcome him, and then scanned the site. There had been someone with Bruce when it started, where were they now? His arm almost folded under him and he cursed silently as black spots danced infront of his eyes.

”I think I'm dying”, he whispered over the com.

Steve let out a string of cursewords over the com and Tony had to laugh, then winced at the pain in his ribs. He gasped for air, blinked quickly and returned to watching for the other person. They were still by the jet.

”The jet”, Tony gasped into the com.

He couldn't finish the sentence, but he saw Steve flip around, move towards the jet. Hulk followed him, Tony slid down onto the ground again. He was going to black out, he knew it. Hulk stopped, looked at him, and Tony tried to smile and gave a small wave. Hulk let out a roar, forgot about Steve and moved towards Tony instead. Tony let out a fuck, heard laughter over the com.

”Hey, big guy”, he tried to pull himself away, but he couldn't move, could barely breathe. Hulk tilted his head, looked at him, leaned down. Steve's voice was talking in his ear, but not to him and he ignored it.

”Buddy? You in there?”

”You can't help him”, echoed over the com, ”he's in my hands now.”

Hulk was even closer to his face know, his nose almost bumping into Tony's.

”What have you done to him?” Steve's voice barely contained the anger.

”Cap”, Tony whispered.

”Poison”, the person answered. ”Blocks his brain. You can't reach him, he only hears my voice.”

”Tell him to stop attacking my friend.”

”Stark deserves it.”

”Cap, I don't want to alarm you”, Tony whispered as Hulk straightened out and raised his arms, clenching his hands into a fist.

Steve's shield hit Hulk in the back and Hulk whipped around, his foot kicking Tony and Tony cried out in agony as he rolled over the ground. He couldn't think, his head was swimming. Steve and Hulk were dancing around each other again.

”Hold out, Tony”, Steve whispered whenever he had a second to breathe.

Tony tried, he had survived worse. The pain was getting duller, he could barely feel his limbs any longer.

”Steve”, he whispered and it felt like the whole world froze around him. ”It was... nice serving with you.”

He let out a shaky breath and then the world turned dark around him.

 


	2. The Death

Steve froze as Tony whispered his name. He wanted to beg, tell him no, to not say it, to not finish the sentence because whatever was going to come it wouldn't be good, but he couldn't open his mouth. Tony took a ragged breath and Steve's stomach hurt at the sound, felt like someone stabbed him with a knife and twisted it around. _Save your breath_ , he wanted to whisper. Anything that could get Tony to shut up for once in his life.

”It was...”

Tony's voice was filled with so much pain, but Steve heard something else in there, something that sounded like relief, and he took a step towards Tony, wanted to scream, yell at him.

”...nice serving with you.”

Tony's head fell to the side and Steve yelled out his name, finally got his voice and movement back. He ran to Tony, but Hulk was after him, his hand collided with Steve's back just as he was gonna fall down and check on Tony and Steve flew, landed by the jet again. He jumped to his feet, whirled around and grabbed the man he has spoken to, the one who had poisoned Bruce.

”Give me the antidote!”

”There is no antidote.”

Anger tore in Steve, his grip on the man tightened, but Hulk was coming closer, after him now that Tony was out of the picture. Steve hit the man in the head with his shield, watched him fall to the ground and turned to face Hulk instead. The man said it was a poison so if he could just keep Hulk from killing him, if he could just keep Hulk moving, his body should take care of it by itself. He ran to face Hulk, threw himself on the ground and slid between his legs. Hulk turned around awkwardly and he wanted to glance at Tony, wanted to check if he was alive, but he didn't have time now, needed to save Bruce before he could think of doing anything else. Tony should be fine for a few more minutes.

Hulk slammed the ground. Steve jumped to his feet, ran, and Hulk followed him. He hid behind his shield as Hulk threw a punch at him, barely missed the jet as he flew through the air. Hulk jumped after him and Steve just managed to roll away before Hlk landed. He got back on his feet faster than Hulk, moved in close and hit Hulk four times before darting away again. Hulk screamed, chased after him, but he was moving slower now. He flailed his hands and Steve didn't even have to try to dodge the punches.

”Alright. Okay. Bruce, I think you're coming back, that's good.”

Steve was flying again, his back hit a tree and he lost his breath. Hulk let out a groan, stumbled towards him. His green skin got paler and his body was twitching. His left arm shrank first, then his right leg. Hulk fell towards the ground, replaced instantly with Bruce. Steve was able to breath again, pressed himself up from the ground and the tree. The first step was agonizing, slow, but then he ran, threw himself down on the ground next to Bruce and checked to see if he was alive and breathing. He was. Steve shook him.

”Okay, I know you hate this, and I know you really desperately need to rest when you've turned into Hulk but if you could please wake up and help me with Tony before you pass out completely I would _really freaking appreciate it_. Come on, Bruce.”

Bruce groaned and moved and Steve helped him sit up.

”Tony?”

Bruce's voice was strained, tired and painful to listen to and Steve wanted nothing more than to let him fall back down, fall into the oblivion of sleep, but he knew he needed an extra set of hand.

”You bashed him around pretty good, remember? We're not angry at you, but we need your help.”

”Tony...” Bruce still sounded like he was far away, then his eyes widened, he grabbed Steve's shoulder. ”Tony! I killed Tony!”

”Easy, we don't know that yet.” Steve got to his feet, pulled Bruce up as well. Bruce stumbled, leaned against him and Steve helped him into the jet, sat him down in one of the chairs.

”Stay awake”, he whispered before going back out to fetch Tony.

Tony was pale, his skin cold. Steve pressed his fingers against Tony's neck, checked the pulse. Way too high, but that meant Tony was still fighting, still alive. He quickly freed Tony from as much armor as possible, grabbed him under the back and knees and lifted him. Tony's head fell down, rolled to the side, and Steve grabbed him tighter, hurried back to the jet. Bruce was up, had prepared a place to lay Tony down and Steve put Tony there. Bruce bit his lip, nodded and got to work, started with putting an IV in Tony's arm.

”Let me know what I need to do, just give me a couple seconds to call the base.”

Bruce nodded and Steve left, grabbed the radio. Tony usually called Medbay from his suit if they needed it, but the channel was pre-programmed into the onboard radio for the times when Tony was out.

”Prepare the crew, we're coming in with one out-hulked Bruce and a dying Tony”, Steve's throat hurt at the last words. ”I'll update you on their status once we're in the air.”

”Steve!” Bruce called and Steve put the radio down, rushed back. Bruce was performing CPR on Tony and nodded towards the defibrilator they kept around. Tony had flatlined more times than he could count already. Most of those times had been due to a faulty arc-reactor but this time he could see the reactor's steady light next to Bruce's hands. He grabbed the defibrilator, handed it to Bruce and Bruce gave a weak smile while quickly setting it up.

”I'm glad he forced us to learn how to use this”, he laughed sadly.

Steve nodded, took a few steps back. The current ran through Tony's body, but didn't help.

”We need to splint his leg and arm”, Bruce said while preparing to give Tony another shock. ”Fetch the materials.”

Steve nodded again, his voice seemed to have failed him. He turned around, listened as Bruce shocked Tony again, and again. When he returned with the material Bruce had fallen into the chair next to the bunk. His eyes were closed and he was fighting to take deep breaths.

”I killed him”, Bruce whispered when Steve came up to him.

”It wasn't you. And he will kill you if you beat yourself up over it.”

He dumped the material in Bruce's lap, noticed rope tied around Tony's arm and leg. Bruce turned his gaze down.

”It was the only thing I could do to stop the bleeding. I tore his rotator cuff.” Bruce's hands started shaking. ”I can't do much about that now.”

”It'll be fine, Tony has pulled through worse situations. Help me with this and then you can pass out and I can take us back to the base so he'll get some real treatment.”

Bruce nodded, got back to his feet. His body swayed.

”You should look into getting a medical doctor on the team.”

”Tony would kill me if I did that. We have you.”

”I'm not that type of doctor...”

They got to work, carefully splinted Tony to make sure the breaks wouldn't move and without disturbing the metalshards too much. Bruce tied Tony's arm to his side so his shoulder wouldn't move during the flight. Steve nodded and Bruce fell back into the chair with a deep sigh.

”You did good.”

”If it wasn't for me...”

”No, Bruce. It's not on you. This isn't your fault. I know it, and Tony knows it, and I know you know it as well.”

”Maybe...”

Steve grabbed two blankets, put one over Tony and wrapped the other one around Bruce. Bruce grabbed his arm as he started moving to the cockpit.

”Steve, I'm resigning. I'm off the team. I can't... I almost killed a team member.”

Steve forced a laugh.

”Most of us have tried to kill Tony at least one time. I'm not accepting your resignation, not at this time. We will talk about it again when Tony wakes up. Until then I expect you to talk to us whenever you feel like you shouldn't be on the team.”

”So all the time.”

”It's not going to be all the time.”

Steve patted Bruce's shoulder before he left and sat down in the pilot seat. He closed his eyes and leaned back, taking a deep breath before making the jet take off. It had been way too close and Tony wasn't safe yet. They'd had to hurry.

 


	3. The Recovery

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Tony slowly drifted up from the darkness. He couldn't open his eyes, his eyelids were heavy and he was so tired. He listened to the sounds around him as he tried to get his brain to catch up with the data it was recieving.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

He slowly moved his fingers. Voices was starting to appear at the edge of his hearing. His head felt heavy, his whole body felt heavy. He clenched his hands. One of them was stopped from clenching by something hard. He clenched the free one again, opened it. Slowly lifted it from the mattress. The voices were louder now, but still far enough away that he couldn't make them out, couldn't make out what they were saying.

Beep beep beep beep

He turned his head, tried to localize the voices or the beeping. It beeped faster now, something must be wrong. He wanted to bend his arm, pull his hand through his hair and rub his eyes to get them to open, but there were things in his arm and he let it fall down onto the mattress again. The beeping decreased. He must have been the source of it.

_...up.... a dolt.... Banner.... so close...come on..._

He opened his eyes, but the bright light in the room forced him to close them again. He swallowed, his throat felt dry.

”W-water”, he croaked out.

The voices died out, the beeping the only sound in the room. He recognized that beeping. A straw was placed against his lips and he took a couple of sips. It was pulled away again and he let out a groan.

”Easy, shellhead.”

He made a new attempt at opening his eyes. The room was less bright this time. Blurry shapes were standing around him and he blinked a few times to clear them up. He tried lifting his head from the pillow, and the beeping increased again. _Definately me_ , he thought and let it fall back again. He was able to make out the color of the room, a clean white, and he let out another weak groan. Hospital room.

”How are you feeling, Tony?”

Steve. Tony tried to focus his gaze on him, but it kept drifting in and out. At least he could tell which fuzzy shape was who now.

”Bruce?” he asked.

”Bruce is in his lab, I'm dragging him down when you're more awake. Do you want us to raise you up?”

Tony managed to shake his head. Only barely but enough for them to see it. Natasha leaned over him.

”You two are never ever allowed to handle missions alone again, _ever_ ”, she stated and Tony had to smile.

”Love you too, Widow.”

Steve offered him the water again and he drank. It felt rejuvenating in his sore throat and his brain got less fuzzy. He made a new attempt to look around and this time the beeping kept steady. The room had been slightly decorated, someone had hung a picture of Iron Man on the wall opposit to him, there was balloons in the corner and flowers and cards covered two extra tables that had been taken inside just to store them.

”Word got out”, Clint laughed from the foot of the bed. ”You got a lot of fans out there.”

”Of course”, Tony smiled. ”I'm Iron Man.”

”You could have been Iron Dead”, Natasha scolded and Tony rolled his eyes before turning to Steve.

”How long was I out?”

”Two weeks. We knew you'd kill us if we let them keep you down longer than that.”

Steve gave him his patented Captain America-frown and crossed his arms over his chest.

”Don't make us regret telling them to wake you up, you will have to take it easy for a while. No working yourself to death for at least a month. Maybe some easy tinkering as long as you have a baby-sitter. No missions until you are completely healed.”

”Aye aye, cap'n.”

Tony's eyes were getting heavier again. They fell shut and he heard Steve, Clint and Natasha slip out of the room before he fell asleep. Next time he woke up Bruce was sitting next to him, his fingers fiddling with the blanket covering Tony. Steve was standing next to the door and smiled when he saw Tony's eyes open up.

”Felling better?”

”Yeah, I'm all ready to head out on a new mission now.”

Steve frowned, but it eased up when he noticed Tony's smile. He stepped up to the bed, raised it so Tony was almost sitting up before returning to his spot. As if he stood guard, ready to either go closer or disappear depending on what was needed. Tony rolled his eyes before turning to Bruce instead.

”You weren't here when I woke up”, Tony pouted.

”I didn't... I don't deserve being here. I'm sorry Tony. You almost... You...” Bruce took a shaky breath. ”You died because of me.”

”I recall something about a mindcontrolling poison.”

”It was still my hands.”

”So?” Tomy shrugged.

”I'm...” Bruce took a deeper breath, then looked at Tony. ”I'm leaving the team.”

”Nope, I'm vetoing that.”

”Tony, you can't... I'm not safe to have around.”

”Bruce.” Tony closed his eyes and took a somewhat deep breath before looking Bruce straight in the eyes. ”None of us is safe to have around. That's why we work together. I'm an asshole with megalomania complex and more money than I can spend, Steve has a hero-complex and is ready to strike down his own teammates for the greater good. Natasha and Clint are spies from SHIELD and trained assassins. Sam deviced ways to defeat all of us and is 100% prepared to use it. Scott and Peter... You know what, they're safe. We should kick them out.”

Bruce snorted, then the sadness returned to his eyes again.

”I killed you”, he repeated.

”I kill myself on regular basis, but you still keep me around”, Tony shrugged.

”Your arc-reactor failing doesn't count as killing yourself.”

”I meant all the times I throw myself infront of a missile and stuff for you people.”

”Oh, yeah...”

Bruce started fiddling with the blanket again and Tony closed his eyes, forced himself to breath carefully, to not whine about the pain that was starting to make itself reminded now that he was awake and the painkilling medicine was starting to wear off. He let his mind wander, took in his body. There was only one needle in his arm now, the others must have been removed while he slept, one of his legs was stuck in a cast, as was his upper body, shoulder and arm. His ribs throbbed, and there was a slight pounding in his head. The beeping had stopped, so at least he was stable enough to not need to be monitored. Maybe he'd be allowed to leave the hospital soon. Steve came closer and Tony opened his eyes again.

”Tired?” Steve asked.

”A bit. It...” Tony hesitated, he didn't want to turn Bruce's visit into a Tony pity-party, especially since Bruce had just said he wanted to leave the team because of Tony's latest set of injuries. He let out a sigh. ”It hurts.”

Bruce flinched, kept his eyes down, and Steve put a hand on Bruce's shoulder. Tony huffed.

”You should have sat down on my other side so I could have punched the sad out of you.”

Bruce looked at Tony, and Tony shot him another smile.

”We won't accept your resignation. I'm fine, and I'm pretty sure that's thanks you. Get a doctorate in medicine as well already. Also you're my science bro, what would I do without you? I'd have to learn _biology_ to entertain the kid. You do not get to do that to me.”

”I...” Bruce hesitated again, looked at Steve before turning to Tony again. ”Okay, I'll stay. But if something like that happens again you can no longer veto my resignation.”

”We'll see”, Tony answered and Steve rolled his eyes.

”It won't happen again, I'll make sure of it. Natasha has forbidden us from doing missions on our own anyway.”

”Like we're gonna let that stop us.”

”We'd better or she will assassinate us in our sleep. She's scary.”

Bruce laughed and Tony smiled, closed his eyes again.

”Glad you're better, Bruce. We need you.”

”I'm still not that kind of doctor.”

”Not yet, no.”

Bruce got up from the chair and Steve ruffled Tony's hair.

”Get some sleep, princess. We'll come around later.”

”Not if I get out before that.”

”We'll be asking the doctors to drug you up excessively.”

”Sounds good.”

Steve opened the door, waited for Bruce to exit. Bruce hesiitated, looked at Tony and Tony raised his hand.

”Your apology quota has been used up for the month. Sorry Bruce, those are the rules.”

”I really am sorry though.”

”I know. I'm not angry though. Just...” Tony yawned, let his hand fall down again. ”Just tired.”

”Your body need rest to heal”, Bruce stated the obvious. ”I'll let you sleep. See you later?”

”Always.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day I'll learn how to write a good ending. Today is not that day.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
